Bookcase



Sept. 30, 1952 w. B. (20555- BOOKCASE Filed Aug. 8, 1949 2 Sl-lEETS-SHEET 1 I i I v '58 58A //2 k William B. Cobbs INVENTOR.

Patented Sept. 30, 1952 UNITED sure-s OFFICE Q QASE'Q William notin wit-stamens. Application Augustfi,"

' 1 claim; ('1.

'l hislinvention relates to new and useful-improvements in structural refinements in-book case designatidigenerallyiby the reference char- I 'acter l0, the-same""consisting' of apair'bf" spaced cases, I particularly multiple book case sections such as' are used in libraries, etc; and the "principal object o'fthe invention is venient and expeditious cleaning 'of the book shelves. 5 v @In accordance with conventional practice it is necessary to remove books from the casein'order that:accumulation.of-dustmaybe removed from the 'shelves; and the-instant invention seeks: to eliminate: this tedious cleaning procedure by the provision of what maybe referred to as a replaceable shelf, the same being intended to be substituted for a-book carrying-shelf while the latteris removed for cleaning without the necessity of actually removing books from the case. Some of the advantagesof the invention reside in its simplicityof construction, in its convenient and expeditious operation, andJ'in/ its adaptability: to economical manufacture.

I With the above more features inview and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention'consists essentially important objects and ofthe arrangement and construction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l-is a vention;

1 "Figure 2 is a top plan view of one of the'shelves used in the invention;

Figure 3 is a've'rtical cross sectional detail showing the initial step in the shelf-replacing operation; *Figure4 is a fragmentary cross sectional detail; similar to that illustrated in Figure 3, but showing an ultimate step in the shelf-replacing I operation;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional detail of one of the latches used in the invention;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary elevational view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 6-6 in Figure 5;

Figure '7 is a cross sectional detail, taken substantially in the plane of the line 1-1 in Figure 2; and,

Figure 8 is a cross sectional that shown in Figure 5, illustrating embodiment of the latch.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views,

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention is embodied in a book view, similar to a modified te -facilitate 'coni front elevational view o'f the inin the book case, and

upstanding side walls 12 which are connected-to gether' in any suitable mannen such as for eg ample; by a transverse'top'wall l4, and if de sired, by a backwall 16,- aswill be'clearly ap-'- p en ;"f j

*Aplurality'of individually replaceable shelves designated 1 generally bythe: reference character 18 are receivable in vertically spaced relation since "the arrangement and mounting of these shelves is identical, it is believed thata' description of ens-win sufiicefor Eachof the shelves-ls'cons'ists of arectangular 7 panel 20 provided with a-per'imetric frame '22 (seeFig'ure 2) the panel 20 being formed" with a set of longitudinally extending recesses or grooves 24 to accommodate a set of rollers '26 which are-rotatably journalled in the end portions of the frame "22"; as will be readilyunderstood; a y

" If desiredythe end portions of the frame 22 may be provided with notches 28 '(see Figure 7) to receive trurinions ii'il with which the endso'f the rollers' '2'6 are equipped; wherebythe rollers may beremo'ved from th shelf for cleaning purposes.

i r e In any 'event it is to lie-noted that the rollers 26 project somewhat above the'upper surface of the -panel"20,so that when-the invention is placed in use, books may be easily slid 'onthe shelf and removed therefrom with equal expediency-{this of course being facilitated by the rotatable rollers adapted to engage the lower'edges of the books 32.

Each shelf I8 is 'supported'inposition in the book case by two pairs of supporting elements or'latches 34, which "are mounted in pairs on'the opposing, inner surfaces of the side walls [2, as will be presently described.

The latches 34 are equipped with a transverse pin 36 which is rotatably and removably journalled in a pair of transversely spaced eyes 38 provided in a recess 40 with which the inner surfaces of the side walls I2 are formed, several of these recesses and eyes being provided as is shown in Figure 3, so that the latches 34 may be removed from one set of recesses and applied to another, in order to facilitate adjustment for varying vertical spacing and height of the sevtially horizontal position wherein they rest upon from sliding outwardly to an excess, as will be the lower edges 44 on the recesses 40, as illusclearly apparent. The projecting end portions of trated by full lines in Figure 5. .the latches or brackets 62 are undercut in a man- However, it is to be noted that the latches 34 er to provide cams 63 with which the shelves may be swung upwardly and inwardly into the i8 are engageable for retracting said latches or recesses 40 as indicated at 46 in Figure 5, in which brackets. I position the latches are almost fully retracted It is believed that the advantages and use of into the recesses. However, suitable stop lugs 48 the invention will be readily understood from the are provided on the latches and are adapted to foregoing disclosure and accordingly, further engage the inner endwall 50 of the recess 40 to 10 ,description thereof at this point is deemed unnecprevent the latches from being retracted too far essary.

into the recess which, if permitted to occur, would While in the foregoing there has been shown not allow the latches to return to their projected. and described the preferred embodiment of this ho o ta po s by influence of gravity. invention it is to be understood that minor It is to be noted that the shelves I8 are changes in the details of construction, combinaequipped with suitable handles 52, and when the ;,.tio nd arrangement of parts may be resorted invention is placed in use, the latches 34 are in to without departing from the spirit and scope of their horizontal, projected positions and the "'the'invention as claimed.

shelves are supported by the latches. so that, Having described the invention, what is claimed books indicated at 32 may be positioned on the as new i shelves, as will be clearly apparent. In a book case, the combination of a pair of Howev r, a m that the [Shelves are to be spaced upstanding side walls, retractable supcleaned to remove accumu a d duet t e ports projecting inwardly from opposing surfaces 34 of the shelf which is to be cleaned, as indie shelf being receivable between said supports. and cated in the lowe po n o Figure ,T the first shelf for supporting said first shelf on .190 by eXerting upward Pressure n the lower said supports whereby the underside of said first shelf as indicated at shelves 213 as shelf may engage said rollers and a removable the books on the pp Shelf m b shifted book retaining member extending transversely upwardly, Causing the latches to retract their between said side alls above said shelves recesses until the lower shelf clears the latches, WILLIAM 00335 whereupon the latter are automatically returned I r to their projected positions by gravity and the REFERENCES CITED two Superimposed Shelves as as the books The following references are of-record inthe on the upper shelf, are supportedby therlatches,

as illustrated in Figure 4. file of thls patent:

A transverse retaining bar 56, supported by UNITED STATES PATENTS suitable hooks 58, may extend between the side 40 Number Name Date walls l2 substantially above th Shelves, a to 332,627 Taylor Dec. 15 1885 retain the books in the book case whi h upper 388,066 Murphy Aug. 21 1338 shelf is withdrawn as illustrated at in Figure 504 279 Raymond 9 9 4, whereupon the books simply dr p on t lower 519,964 Neilen May 15 1894 shelf and the withdrawn shelf may b subjected 535,081 Schwartz Mar. 5 1895 to cleaning without actually removing the bOOkS 541,678 Poindexter June 25 1895 from the case. Needless to say, after t with- 543,959 Foster Aug. 6 1395 drawn shelf is cleaned, it may besu st in 619,418 Hunter Feb. 14 1899 the manner above described for anot e shelf 798,514 Krag Aug, 29'19o5 when the cleaning operation is completedc 1,563,057 Williams Nov 24 1925 Finally, reference maybe drawn to a m fi d 2,253,573 Nave Aug 26 1941 embodiment of the invention illustrated in thev I I accompanying Figure 8, wherein the pivotally FOREIGN PATENTS mounted latches 34 are substituted by a spring Number Country t pressed l ble bracket or latch 62 which is W 4 Great Britain 1903 retractable against the resiliency of a. spring 64 430,841 Germany June 25, 1926 into a cup 66 mounted in the side wall l2, while 582,790 Great Britain 1946 a keeper pin 68, movable in a slot 70 in the latch 62, is used for preventing the bracket or latch 

